January Hoskin: Honoring the resilient women in our lives

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The flag of the Cherokee Nation. Photo: J. Stephen Conn

Honoring Cherokee Mothers by Investing in Families and Opportunity

Monday, May 11, 2026

By Cherokee Nation First Lady January Hoskin

Cherokee Nation

Mother’s Day is a time to reflect on the women who have shaped our lives with strength, sacrifice and love. In Cherokee culture, mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts and other close female relatives have always stood at the center of our families and communities. They serve as our first teachers, caregivers, leaders and the keepers of our values.

As First Lady of the Cherokee Nation and mother of Cherokee Nation citizens, I am proud that our Nation’s work in recent years has reflected those same values: putting families first and creating more opportunity for women and children across the Cherokee Nation Reservation and beyond.

When we support mothers and the women in our Nation who are stepping in to raise nephews, nieces, grandchildren and others, we strengthen entire communities.

Through initiatives like our Families Are Sacred Summit, we are bringing together service providers, advocates and community leaders to address the most pressing challenges facing families today — from child welfare to prevention and healing.

Our commitment to children is also evident in the amazing work coming from Cherokee Nation’s Indian Child Welfare Department. We are ensuring that Cherokee children remain connected to their culture, their families and their future. These efforts are about more than policy — they are about preserving Cherokee identity, strengthening Cherokee homes and honoring the responsibility we all share to care for the next generation.

At the same time, we are making historic strides for women in the workplace. Cherokee Nation’s workforce is about 70% women, and important steps have been taken to ensure greater pay equity. My husband, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner have made it a priority to close gender pay gaps and ensure women are compensated fairly for their work. The endeavor reflects a broader promise of fairness, dignity and opportunity for all employees.

Chief Hoskin, Deputy Chief Warner create policy providing all employees with paid leave for birth, adoption of child

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We also recognize that supporting working families means providing the flexibility and security they need at home. Expanded maternity and paternity leave policies — which are also inclusive of parents who adopt or foster — help new parents bond with their children and build strong foundations from the beginning. These policies celebrate caregiving as a true community value.

This Mother’s Day, we honor the resilient women of our past and those guiding our future. We also reaffirm our responsibility to continue building a Cherokee Nation where families are supported, women are valued, and children are given every opportunity to thrive. That is how we honor our mothers — not just with words, but with action.

January Hoskin serves as First Lady of the Cherokee Nation. Married to Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., she is actively involved in promoting Cherokee culture, history and education.